Page 2 - Thermal Power

NTPC shuts down operations of 220 MW Barauni Stage-I project permanently

State-owned power giant NTPC has closed down its Barauni Thermal Power Station Stage-I of 220 MW permanently. NTPC is India's largest power utility with a total installed capacity of 75,418 MW (including JVs), according to its official website. "Operation of NTPC Barauni Thermal Power Station Stage-I (2x110 MW) comprising of two Units (Unit 6 & 7) of 110 MW each (along with all Auxiliary systems except CHP, Switchyard, Ash Dyke and Township) shall be permanently discontinued w.e.f. 31st March 2024," a regulatory filing said on Saturday. Established in 1975, NTPC aims to become a 130 GW firm by 2032. NTPC acquired Barauni Thermal Power Station (720 MW) in District Begusarai, Bihar, from Bihar State Power Generation Company on December 15, 2018. At the time of acquisition, the 720 MW coal-based power station has 2 units of 110 MW each (under R&M-renovation and modernisation) and 2 units of 250 MW each (under construction). The plant comprised of Stage-I (2x110 mw) and Stage-II .

CIL tops annual growth target, achieves 610.8 MT supply to power sector

Coal India Ltd (CIL) has surpassed its annual supply target of 610 million tonnes to the thermal power sector, achieving 610.8 MT till March 27, a company official said. This marks the highest coal supply till date to the power sector, he said. CIL's coal supply to the sector rose by 29.3 million tonnes in absolute volume terms compared to the corresponding period last fiscal, he said. The miner's current average daily supply to coal-fired plants stands at 1.76 million tonnes, reflecting the growing demand from the power sector, according to a company statement. CIL is aiming at boosting production in the wake of the estimated peak demand for electricity of 250 GW this summer. In 2022-23, offtake to power plants reached 586.6 million tonnes, surpassing the commitment of 565 million tonnes, the official said. As per data, coal stock at domestic coal-based power plants stood at 47.1 million tonnes as of March 26, an increase of 13.7 million tonnes as against the corresponding perio

NTPC to start commercial ops of 2nd unit of North Karanpura power project

NTPC on Monday said it will start commercial operations of second unit of its North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project on March 20. NTPC's North Karanpura Super Thermal Power (STPP) project is a coal-based power plant located in the Chatra district of Jharkhand. "Unit 2 (660 MW) of North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (3x660 MW) is declared on commercial operation with effect from 00:00 hours of 20.03.2024," NTPC said in an exchange filing. With this, standalone and group commercial capacity of NTPC will become 59,298 MW and 75,418 MW, respectively. NTPC, under the Ministry of Power, is India's largest power generation company.

Rajasthan govt signs 5 MoUs worth Rs 1.60 trn to boost energy sector

These MOUs and purchasing power agreements (PPA) will increase thermal and renewable energy production in the state, the release stated

UP approves green hydrogen policy, setting up of 800 MW thermal plants

The Uttar Pradesh government on Tuesday approved a green hydrogen policy, and a proposal for setting up two units of 800 MW in Anpara in collaboration with NTPC at a cost of Rs 8,624 crore. The decisions were taken at a Cabinet meeting presided by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. "So far, hydrogen production technology has relied on electricity or gas, known as gray hydrogen. A significant effort is now underway to transition from gray hydrogen to green hydrogen. The policy outlines an ambitious goal to produce one million metric tonne of green hydrogen annually within the next 4 years, by 2028," an official release quoted Energy Minister AK Sharma as saying. The green hydrogen policy has been set for 5 years. Industries establishing themselves within this timeframe will receive subsidies and other incentives totalling Rs 5,045 crore. "These industries will be eligible for subsidies ranging from 10 to 30 per cent on capital expenditure, with the first five industries enjoying ...

BHEL bags order worth Rs 9,500 cr to set up 1,600 MW thermal project

State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) on Tuesday said it has bagged an order from power giant NTPC to set up a 1,600 MW Singrauli thermal power project (Stage-II). The size of the order is more than Rs 9,500 crore, excluding GST (goods and services tax), BHEL said in a regulatory filing. "BHEL has received an order from NTPC for setting up the Singrauli Super Thermal Power Project, Stage-III (2x800 MW) in Sonebhadra District, Uttar Pradesh," it stated. The engineering firm expects to complete Unit 1 in 50 months and Unit 2 in 54 months. The scope of the order includes supply of equipment, erection and commissioning as well as civil works, it said. The BSE on Monday sought clarification on news about BHEL bagging this order as it was the sole bidder. The company later in a clarification to BSE explained that it had submitted a price bid on December 21, 2023, and is the only bidder, for the mentioned NTPC tender, which is an activity in the normal course of ...

PM lays foundation stone for 1st phase of NLC India Talabira power project

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the first phase of NLC India Talabira Thermal Power Project in Odisha. Odisha Governor Raghubar Das, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and several Union ministers including Dharmendra Pradhan and Ashwini Vaishnaw were present on the occasion, NLC India said in a statement on Saturday. "The government will always ensure to fulfil its promises. This government doesn't just lay the foundation stone of any project; it makes sure to inaugurate it. This thermal power project will ensure Odisha gets round-the-clock electricity supply and also open up employment opportunities for the youth," Modi said. With an estimated investment of over Rs 27,000 crore, this coal-based Ultra Super Critical Pit Head thermal power project signifies a monumental step towards fostering energy security and driving the nation's growth trajectory. The project encompasses a 2,400-MW capacity in its initial phase and plans for an additional 800 MW in th

Thermal power plants' capacity utilisation to rise to 69% in FY25: ICRA

The capacity utilisation of thermal power plants will increase by a percentage point to 69 per cent in 2024-25, led by the growth in electricity demand and limited thermal capacity addition, says rating agency ICRA. ICRA's outlook for the thermal power segment is 'Stable', supported by the healthy improvement in the thermal plant load factor (PLF), coupled with the reduction in dues from state distribution utilities (discoms) following the implementation of the Late Payment Surcharge (LPS) scheme since August 2022, a statement said. "The current under-construction thermal capacity is about 30 GW, which is predominantly in the Central and the state-owned generation segment and is expected to be commissioned over the next two to four-year period," Girishkumar Kadam, Senior Vice President & Group Head - Corporate Ratings, ICRA, said in the statement. In our view, there is a clear need for incremental capacity beyond this pipeline if the annual electricity demand growth continues to ..

CCL mulls JV with Jharkhand for expansion of Tenughat Thermal Power Station

The total installed capacity of the thermal station is 420 MW having two units of 210 MW capacity each

CCEA approves Rs 5,607 cr investments by Coal India in two power projects

The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs on Thursday approved equity investments of Rs 5,607 crore by state-owned South Eastern Coalfields and Mahanadi Coalfields to set up two thermal power projects with total generation capacities of 2,260 MW. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday, an official statement said. According to the statement, South Eastern Coalfields Ltd (SECL) will set up a 660 MW thermal power plant through a joint venture of SECL and MPPGCL. Similarly, Mahanadi Coalfields Ltd (MCL) will set up a 2x800 MW thermal power plant through Mahanadi Basin Power Ltd (MBPL - a subsidiary of MCL). There will be an equity capital of Rs 823 crore (plus or minus 20 per cent) by SECL with an estimated project capex of Rs 5,600 crore (accuracy of plus or minus 20 per cent) for the proposed 660 MW supercritical thermal power plant through JV of SECL and MPPGCL at Amarkantak Thermal

India's path to renewable energy: Balancing growth and coal transition

As the share of renewable energy (RE) increases in the country's energy mix, it is expected that the dependency on coal will decline

BHEL to set up 2,400 MW thermal power plant at Odisha's Jharsuguda

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) will set up a greenfield thermal power plant of 2,400 MW capacity in Odisha's Jharsuguda district, an official statement said on Saturday. NLC India Limited, a Navaratna company under the Ministry of Coal, has awarded the EPC (engineering, procurement, and construction) contract to BHEL to set the 2,400 MW capacity (3x800 MW-stage I) after inviting competitive tenders, it said. The contract scope to BHEL includes engineering, manufacturing, supply, erection and commissioning of equipment such as boilers, turbines and generators for the plant, the statement said. For the thermal project, coal linkage is available from Talabira II and III mines of NLCIL. The water required for the project will be sourced from Hirakud reservoir, it said. The first unit of the project is scheduled for commissioning in the financial year 2028-29.

Thermal power is back in business as govt makes commitment clear

Deals in Punjab and Odisha shows coal-fired plants are crucial to economy

Punjab govt buys Goindwal Sahib thermal power plant for Rs 1,080 crore

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday said the state government has bought a 540-megawatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. "It is for the first time that a private power plant is being bought by the government," Mann said at a news conference here. "We have purchased it for Rs 1,080 crore, which works out to a cost of Rs 2 crore per megawatt," Mann said. Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) in July last year filed a bid to take over the 540 MegaWatt private thermal power plant at Goindwal Sahib. The 540 MW thermal power plant is an independent power plant and is spread over 1,100 acres of land in Goindwal Sahib in Tarn Taran.

AIPEF demands probe into coal shortage at thermal power plants, imports

All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) on Tuesday demanded an independent enquiry into shortage of coal at various thermal power plants as well as the imports of dry fuel in the country. The engineers' body also said the central government should bear the additional cost of coal imports by power generation utilities, according to an AIPEF statement. It said that certain entities are benefitting from rising coal imports and demand from a number of power producers leads to an increase in the price of the dry fuel in the international market. AIPEF chairman Shailendra Dubey said the term of reference of the enquiry should include who are the main beneficiaries of coal imports. According to AIPEF, imports of coal have increased after the government has made it mandatory for imported coal based plant to run with full capacity and instructed the domestic coal based plants to increase blending of imported coal from 4 per cent to 6 per cent. In March this year, the government issued

Uttar Pradesh govt to invest Rs 18K crore in coal-fired power plant

This comes amid the rep­orts that the Government of India is looking at facilitating easier funding for new coal-fired thermal power plants in the wake of a sharp jump in electricity demand

State govts falling back on thermal power as electricity demand surges

In 2014, it was coal supply. Between 2016-2018, it was Central schemes on rural and urban electrification and reforms for power distribution companies

Coal ministry to ensure adequate availability of dry fuel at thermal plants

The coal ministry on Monday said it has plans to produce additional quantity of the dry fuel to ensure sufficient availability for thermal power plants. Production enhancement measures include opening of new blocks, expansion of mines capacity and production from captive, commercial mines. "All these three operational components are contributing and have clear plans for further enhancement. The production plans for year 2027 and 2030 will far exceed the likely domestic requirement of thermal power plants in the country, including that for likely additional capacity," the coal ministry said in a statement. The ministry plans to produce 1,404 million tonnes (MT) of coal by 2027 and 1,577 MT by 2030 from the current level of production of about one billion tonnes per annum. Coal supplied to domestic coal-based power plant is around 821 MT for the current year. The ministry said it has taken note of the additional coal requirement for the additional 80 GW of thermal capacity to be add

12 Gw thermal power by next year to meet high demand, says R K Singh

Singh said most states agreed to enhance generation capacity - both conventional (coal) and renewable

Coal India's supply to thermal power plants rises 11% to 50.8 MT in October

State-owned CIL's coal supply to electricity generating plants rose by 11 per cent to 50.8 MT in October amid higher power demand in the festive month. The fuel supply by Coal India Ltd (CIL) to the power sector was 45.8 MT in October last fiscal. The higher supply of five million tonnes (MT) was despite rain lashed across the mines of CIL's subsidiaries based in the eastern part of the country -- Eastern Coalfields Ltd (ECL), Bharat Coking Coal Ltd (BCCL), Central Coalfields Ltd (CCL) and partly Northern Coalfields Ltd (NCL) -- during the first week of October, the maharatna firm said in a statement. In the first seven months of the current financial year, coal supply by CIL to the power sector increased by 15 MT to 346 MT from 331 MT a year ago, registering a growth of 4.5 per cent. "The quantum supplies to the power sector were 4.7 MT more than the progressive commitment of 341.3 MT till October," the statement said. The company is confident of breaching the annual supply targe